10 great free digital photography downloads

With these free image editors, photo managers, and other utilities, you can take control of your photo collection.

If you've got a digital camera, then chances are you'll need a bit of help when it comes to editing and managing the snaps you take with it.

We've rounded up 10 downloads that will let you take control of your photos.

Whether you're looking for a top-of-the-line photo editor, a great photo manager, or nifty utilities to handle tasks such as finding duplicates, we have just the thing. And every program is free - not only to download but also to use.

Photo editors

Face it: sometimes your pictures turn out less than perfectly, and you have to adjust their colour, remove red-eye, or alter the dimensions.

Photo editors can do all of those things and more. Even if you're a professional photographer, your pictures still could use the occasional touch-up - and the following tools are certainly up to the task.

The GIMP

The gold standard for photo-editing software is Photoshop, but you have to lay out plenty of gold if you want to use it.
Instead, try the free, open-source GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program), an exceptionally powerful photo editing application with many Photoshop-like features, but without the Photoshop price.

You'll be surprised at all the power this program packs, including effects, filters, masks, and layers.

Though many of its features are designed for advanced users, it has all of the basics as well, such as the much-needed red-eye removal tool.

Be prepared for what may be a somewhat difficult learning curve - the high-end features require a fair amount of time to master, and the layout is a bit eccentric.

Once you get beyond that, though, you'll find a program that offers professional-level photo editing but doesn't cost a penny. And it isn't just for tweaking photos: You can use it for creating illustrations and other graphics from scratch, too.

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